Much political thinking today, particularly that influenced by
liberalism, assumes a clear distinction between the public and the
private, and holds that the correct understanding of this should
weigh heavily in our attitude to human goods. It is, for instance,
widely held that the state may address human action in the
''public'' realm but not in the ''private.'' In "Public Goods,
Private Goods" Raymond Geuss exposes the profound flaws of such
thinking and calls for a more nuanced approach. Drawing on a series
of colorful examples from the ancient world, he illustrates some of
the many ways in which actions can in fact be understood as public
or private.
The first chapter discusses Diogenes the Cynic, who flouted
conventions about what should be public and what should be private
by, among other things, masturbating in the Athenian marketplace.
Next comes an analysis of Julius Caesar's decision to defy the
Senate by crossing the Rubicon with his army; in doing so, Caesar
asserted his dignity as a private person while acting in a public
capacity. The third chapter considers St. Augustine's retreat from
public life to contemplate his own, private spiritual condition. In
the fourth, Geuss goes on to examine recent liberal views,
questioning, in particular, common assumptions about the importance
of public dialogue and the purportedly unlimited possibilities
humans have for reaching consensus. He suggests that the liberal
concern to maintain and protect, even at a very high cost, an
inviolable ''private sphere'' for each individual is confused.
Geuss concludes that a view of politics and morality derived
from Hobbes and Nietzsche is a more realistic and enlightening way
than modern liberalism to think about human goods. Ultimately, he
cautions, a simplistic understanding of privacy leads to simplistic
ideas about what the state is and is not justified in doing.
General
Imprint: |
Princeton University Press
|
Country of origin: |
United States |
Series: |
Princeton Monographs in Philosophy |
Release date: |
October 2003 |
First published: |
October 2003 |
Authors: |
Raymond Geuss
|
Dimensions: |
191 x 114 x 14mm (L x W x T) |
Format: |
Paperback - Trade
|
Pages: |
176 |
Edition: |
Revised edition |
ISBN-13: |
978-0-691-11720-1 |
Categories: |
Books >
Social sciences >
Politics & government >
Political science & theory
|
LSN: |
0-691-11720-9 |
Barcode: |
9780691117201 |
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